


The Avalon World Tour

by DiaryofaWriter



Series: The Mazanett Stories [10]
Category: Gargoyles
Genre: F/M, Mazanett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-20
Updated: 2013-04-20
Packaged: 2017-12-09 00:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/767846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiaryofaWriter/pseuds/DiaryofaWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elisa has disappeared without any sign, and Owen is starting to get worried.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning of the Tour

Normally, I was not someone who was likely to become frantic or overly concerned with anything. After nearly four months of not hearing from the woman I loved, however, things began to change. 

Elisa Maza had disappeared with no word, no explanation, and no news since then. I had not discovered that she was missing until I went to her apartment that evening as I almost always did. We had established a routine, despite our most unconventional romance, and I was certain that my knock would be answered by the sight of Elisa smiling at me while she tried to keep Cagney from escaping into the hall before she tugged me inside and asked what I wanted for dinner. It was what we did, and I had come to look forward for this routine every day when I finished work. 

That night, there had not been any answer. This was not alarming in and of itself. As a dedicated police detective, there were many nights when Elisa was called into work without a chance to warn me that she would not be there to meet me at her apartment. I merely assumed such was the case this time. As such, I let myself in and prepared to wait for her to return. 

I have little memory of when I fell asleep, but I was woken up the next morning by the ringing of my phone. Mr. Xanatos was calling me into work, so I did my best to wake up completely before I had to leave. Out of habit, I turned to tell Elisa that I was sorry I couldn't spend more time with her, but I had to go to work. She wasn't there. Even then, I wasn't worried. Perhaps she had come and gone again while I was still asleep, or she was in the kitchen or bathroom. I went to look for her, and didn't find her anywhere.

That was when the panic started to build up.

There wasn't any sign that Elisa had even come back to the apartment at all the night before. While I had slept on her bed, there was no rumpling of the sheets on her side that showed she had been there as well. Her gun and badge were gone, along with her coat and shoes. Cagney was yowling, too, as though she hadn't fed him in over twenty-four hours. When I looked in the kitchen, that turned out to be the case.

Frowning to myself, I fed Cagney and idly scratched behind his ears before turning to leave the apartment. As worried as I was, I could not stay and wait to see if she would return soon. Perhaps she had just decided to sleep where the Gargoyles roosted, or had been kept late and crashed at the precinct. Neither scenario was unheard of for her, after all. For Elisa, her work came first, even with regards to me. She and I loved one another dearly, but we had both accepted that we were what many would term "workaholics" early in our relationship.

Still, Elisa usually informed me if she had a late night of work. I was more worried than ever now, but I couldn't risk being late to work. 

I had spent all of that day inwardly worrying to myself and wondering where Elisa could possibly be. I was tempted to call her superior, Captain Chavez, and ask if she had heard anything from Elisa in the last few hours. That, however, was a bad idea and I was well aware of that fact. Both of us had agreed from the beginning that the last person we wanted to know about our relationship was Captain Chavez. If she knew that Elisa and I were involved, then Elisa would very likely lose her position on the force. Such a loss would kill Elisa. Her work was her life, and she wasn't about to risk losing it. 

So asking Captain Chavez was out of the question, as was speaking to the Gargoyles. None of the clan liked me very much, even though they knew that I was Elisa's mate. Goliath in particular was harboring a great deal of resentment towards me. Not that I could say that I blamed him. Goliath had long felt a deep affection and even attraction towards Elisa. He wouldn't be eager to help me with anything regarding my relationship with her. Hudson, however…he might help. The old Gargoyle seemed to view Elisa as a daughter, and as such was very likely to help me find her.

But that became unnecessary when the Gargoyles came to Mr. Xanatos and myself. They and Elisa's now-mutated brother, Talon, were convinced that my employer knew something of, not only Elisa's disappearance, but also Goliath's. Goliath was gone too, which only made this whole thing seem even more suspicious. I didn't like it at all.

That was weeks--or was it months now?--ago. Still no sign of Elisa or Goliath. Cagney was at least taken care of, as Broadway had taken the cat to wherever the Gargoyles were living to ensure that he would be taken care of. Unfortunately, as far as I knew, Elisa's family was just as clueless about where their daughter was as anyone else. Bluestone had no ideas either, and had even threatened myself and Xanatos in an attempt to get information from us. Elisa's partner was worried, though, and so I could not hold that against the redheaded detective. However, I couldn't help but resent the fact that Bluestone wanted to arrest me.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the phone beside me ringing loudly. It was a very jarring sound, and for a moment I was tempted to simply let it ring out of irritation. That was not the way I worked, however, and so I calmly lifted the receiver to my ear.

"Burnett," I said calmly.

There was a short pause on the other line before I heard a response, as though the caller was very far away. "Owen?"

I knew that voice. I would be able to identify it anywhere. Sitting up straighter suddenly, I tightened my hold on the phone as though that would somehow bring Elisa closer to me. "Elisa?" I replied. "Is that really you?"

"Oh, thank God!" Elisa cried, clearly as worried as I had been feeling. 

"Elisa, where _are_ you?" I asked in a low voice. "Where have you been? Everyone has been worried about you…" I paused before adding, " _I've_ been worried about you."

There was a heavy sigh from Elisa's end and I could hear her shifting her position. "I'm in Scotland. By Loch Ness, apparently."

Loch Ness? What was she doing there? _How_ was she there? Hell's bells, _why_ was she there, and not here? Frowning to myself, I sighed heavily and rubbed my forehead. "Elisa, what happened to you?" I asked quietly. "It's been almost four months since you disappeared; your family is worried sick, the Gargoyles have been tearing the city apart to find you, and…" I sighed and let my voice trail off.

"It's a _really_ long story," Elisa said miserably, and I heard her hair pass over the mouthpiece of the receiver. "But--" she paused before continuing in a tiny voice, " _four months_?"

"Yes," I replied quietly. "Elisa, what happened to you?"

With a heavy sigh, she began to tell me everything. About how a strange knight had come asking for Goliath and told them about the clan of Gargoyles on Avalon that was made up of the rescued eggs from Castle Wyvern a thousand years ago, and fighting the Archmage.

Avalon. That explained everything. Puck bristled a little in the back of my mind at the thought. No wonder she had been gone so long. For her, it wouldn't seem so long, but for us…

"Wait…Elisa, love," I said slowly. "How did you get to _Loch Ness_?"

"That's another long story," Elisa said dryly. "Apparently Avalon's not done with us now, even though we already saved the hatchling clan. I don't know how long we'll be gone," She sighed heavily and I thought I could hear tears in her voice.

"Ask, and Puck can be there in a moment to bring you home, beloved," I said quietly. 

"Owen," Elisa sighed again. "I can't. Goliath needs me here. I can't just abandon him like that."

I sighed as well, closing my eyes in mild frustration and holding the phone closer to my face. "I understand," I murmured quietly. "But if you ever feel decide that you just want to come home, just call for Puck. She will here you and be there immediately to bring you back."

"I know," Elisa murmured quietly. "Thank you." There was a pause for a moment as we both heard the voice in the phone telling us that Elisa had less than a minute left on her call. " I have to go…" she said reluctantly.

I didn't want her to. I wanted to hear her voice for longer, so that I could at least hold onto the memory of how she sounded now for however long I had to before I heard from her again. But that wasn't possible right now, and I knew that. Sighing heavily, I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I know," I whispered. "Elisa…just be safe."

"Always," Elisa murmured, her voice shaking as though she was barely holding back tears. "I love you, Owen, and I miss you _so much_ …"

"And I you, my love," I murmured softly. "I will be waiting for you to call or come home…"

"I know," Elisa sighed heavily and I could hear her kiss something before lightly touching the mouthpiece of the phone receiver. 

"I love you, Elisa," I whispered.

Elisa sighed again. "I love you. I love you…" The voice in informed us once more that her time was running out and she whimpered. "I'll call when I can. I have to go."

"I know. Go…"

The dull humming sound of the dial tone suddenly was all that I could hear and I slowly lowered the receiver into its cradle with a sigh. Well, I knew where she was now, but that did not change much. She was going to be gone for some time, if Avalon had anything to say about it.

"Damn it," I murmured at the same time that Puck voiced a similar sentiment in the back of my mind.

Now all we could do was wait.


	2. Meeting the Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen takes the first step towards making peace with Elisa's family.

The Maza family home was a quaint little place, I thought to myself idly. It had the feel and look of an old-fashioned cottage, though I could already tell that it was larger than it appeared to be from the front. If this was where Elisa and her two siblings were raised, then it had to be just a little larger than a cottage, after all. Just imagining that made me smile a little to myself. Elisa must have been a very energetic child, and I half wished that I could have seen her then. But that was not what I was here for at this point. Sighing heavily, I came up to the front door and knocked.

I had ensured that I would be arriving well before Elisa's father would be home from work. From what Elisa had told me about her family, Peter Maza was the one person, with the exception of her brother, that I needed to worry about the most. He would most likely not be supportive of the relationship I had with his eldest daughter. Elisa's mother, Diane, was another story entirely. While Elisa was not as close to her mother as she was to her father, she did insist that her mother and her sister were probably the ones who would be most supportive. I was about to put that theory to the test.

The woman who opened the door was matronly in appearance, her face pleasant and sharing several features with Elisa, I noticed. The shape of the mouth and nose was the same in both women, and from the way Diane was now looking at me, I would wager that Elisa got her piercing stare from her mother as well. She was still a very striking woman, even though she was no longer young, and her African heritage only added to that. Her hair was kept short, and surprisingly for someone from Nigeria, as Elisa informed me her mother was, her eyes were a brilliant blue color that her son had inherited. She was also about the same height as Elisa, and as such she had to tilt her head slightly to look me in the eye.

Her smile, which had graced her features when she first opened the door, had faded suddenly when she saw that it was me standing there. No doubt she had heard about me from at least her son, who had worked with me for several months before his unfortunate transformation. I could not blame her if she decided to dislike me immediately, for that very reason. So I remained polite and silent, waiting for her to speak.

"Mr. …Burnett, isn't it?" she asked slowly, her voice rich and feminine. She had an excellent voice for storytelling, I noted.

"It is," I replied, bowing low and smiling wryly. "I take it that you have heard of me through the news and your son."

Mrs. Maza frowned a little at this and nodded stiffly. Once more I was impressed by the several similarities between her and Elisa. "Yes, I have," she said firmly. "What brings you here, of all places?"

"I would much rather answer all of your questions--of which I am sure you have many," I said slowly, smiling wryly in an attempt to make myself seem more approachable, "inside of the house. Of course, that is only if you would allow me to come in," I added. 

This was far different than trying to enter Elisa's apartment without an invitation, after all. Elisa's apartment, as the dwelling of a single woman who had only begun renting it a few years ago, did not have as strong of a threshold. This house, on the other hand, had been a home to the Maza family for decades, and as such the threshold would not allow me to pass into the house without an invitation. I could practically _feel_ the energy of the threshold humming against my skin, even though I was not as sensitive to such things as Puck.

For several moments, Diane eyed me thoughtfully, seeming to carefully consider whether or not it was worth letting me in to have her curiosity satisfied. Finally, she nodded and sighed heavily.

"Of course…come in," she said, her tone a little friendlier than when she first greeted me. "Take a seat in the living room. I'll make us some tea." She paused and glanced at me questioningly, seeming to ask if I drank tea.

"Tea would be most appreciated, Mrs. Maza, thank you," I told her with a slight smile.

The living room of the house was very cozy, and had a lived-in feel that only a place that had been home to young children at one time or another possessed. The colors were warm, allowing one to easily relax. I took in all of the knickknacks filling the room and walked over to the wall that seemed devoted to family pictures from over the years. 

There were several baby pictures of all three of the Maza siblings, and I had to admit that all three had been rather adorable babies. Smiling a little, I continued to examine the photographs. Images of Elisa through her childhood held particular fascination for me, of course. She had been a truly beautiful child, but that did not surprise me at all. Several pictures showed a beaming younger Elisa holding up some award or other from either school or extracurricular activities, and there were even more of her with her siblings. One in particular held my gaze the longest.

Elisa stood proudly in the robes and cap that graduating students usually wore, her hair tied back and a diploma from Columbia University held tightly in her hands. Her eyes sparkled in a way that I had become very familiar with in the time we had been involved with one another, and she had one arm around her brother's neck, leaning against him so that they were literally cheek-to-cheek. Derek was beaming proudly and held two fingers up behind his older sister's head. On the other side of Elisa stood a pretty girl who appeared to be in her early teens and shared several features with both her brother and sister. This was clearly a younger Beth Maza, and she was beaming as brightly as her siblings, her arms wrapped tightly around her sister's middle. Each of the three siblings appeared to be laughing happily, their father standing behind all three, proud and smiling as well, though his arms were crossed tightly over his chest.

I was still looking over the picture when I heard Diane reenter the living room. Turning to look at her, I smiled slightly at her.

"You have a very beautiful family, Mrs. Maza," I commented quietly. "You must be very proud."

She glanced over at the pictures behind me and slowly nodded with a wry smile. "Yes. I am," she murmured before looking at me pointedly as she poured the tea. "But you aren't here to discuss my children, are you?"

"Actually, I am, in a way," I replied as I moved to sit down across from her. "I am here to speak to you about Elisa."

My use of her eldest daughter's first name seemed to surprise her a great deal, as she paused in her pouring of the tea to stare at me. Her expression of surprise soon faded, however, and was replaced by a suspicious frown.

"What about Elisa?" she asked. "Derek told us that he already spoke to you and your employer about whether or not you knew where she was and that he had no luck."

"That was several months ago, Mrs. Maza," I said calmly. "Since then, I have been in contact with her."

Perhaps I should have said this in a much less abrupt manner, I decided as Diane nearly dropped her teacup. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at me.

"You have been in contact with Elisa?" she demanded. "Why would she contact _you_ and not her own family?" she continued, her tone accusing and more than a little disapproving.

"That is what I wish to discuss with you, Mrs. Maza," I replied with a wry smile. Sighing thoughtfully, I turned so that I was facing her completely. "I must tell you, first of all, that everything I am about to tell you I wish to be kept a secret for the time being," I continued. "Elisa does not know that I am even telling you of this."

Frowning in mild confusion, Diane nodded slowly. "I suppose that I can keep it a secret, though it will depend on what you are about to tell me, you realize."

I nodded with a wry smile. She certainly was Elisa's mother, with that hidden steel in her soul. Sighing again, I accepted the cup of tea that was offered to me and contemplated it for a long moment. In this case, perhaps I should just say what was on my mind.

"Mrs. Maza," I began slowly, toying with the teacup. "Your daughter and I have been dating for almost two years now."

This time she had at least not picked up the cup to begin with, thus preventing it from shattering completely. Diane stared at me with enormous eyes, her mouth open in shock as she seemed to try and find the correct words to say.

"I'm…sorry?" she finally managed to say.

"Since she was shot," I continued, smiling wryly. "We had been involved for a short time before that, but we broke up temporarily after Mr. Xanatos was arrested for receiving stolen goods." I glanced at Diane to gauge her reaction. When I saw that she did not look particularly inclined to strike me or shout, I continued. "I assure you, ma'am, that my intentions towards your daughter are entirely honorable," I said quietly. "She is a very wonderful woman, and I love her a great deal. No doubt much of that is due to the way you raised her."

It never hurts to ingratiate oneself to the parents of the woman you love, and I was going to take full advantage of any opportunity to do so that I was offered. Diane did smile slightly at the compliment to her, so I hoped that was a good sign for me. However, her expression was still somewhat troubled, which did not instill me with great confidence.

"Almost two years?" she finally asked, sighing and reaching out to stir her tea with a spoon.

I nodded calmly. "Yes. Though I did care very deeply for your daughter before then," I responded with a slight smile. "I only thought that I should tell you, and let you know that she is all right as far as I know, though I have not heard from her for several weeks now."

Nor could I tell her exactly why Elisa had disappeared for so long. It was highly unlikely that she would believe me even if I _did_ tell her. After all, so few mortals believed in the Fae anymore in this day and age. Elisa had told me that her mother often told Elisa and her siblings stories of Anansi, but that could have just been Diane's way of carrying on her culture. For now, I would have to act on the assumption that Diane would not believe in Avalon even if I did tell her the truth, and go from there.

A slight frown crossed Diane's face as she took in all that I had said. Finally, she looked me directly in the eye. "You said that you loved Elisa?" she asked quietly. "I can't deny that I am more than a little surprised by this."

"Believe me, Mrs. Maza," I said dryly, "I would not expect you to be anything less than surprised at this point."

"Call me Diane, please," she replied, though it seemed more like an automatic response than a sincere one. "I did not think that Elisa was dating anyone…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at me closely, as though judging how worthy I was with regards to dating Elisa. "Why did she want to keep this a secret?"

"Because of who I am," I said with a shrug. "And because of who my employer is. I know that your family has very little reason to approve of me as a suitor for Elisa, given all that Mr. Xanatos has done to your son and Elisa," I continued. "But she has been wishing that she could tell you about us for a long time, and I thought that I would at least see what your reaction was before considering telling Mr. Maza."

A wry smile crossed Diane's lips as she sipped at her tea and nodded her understanding. "Yes. Peter is a very stubborn man, and I doubt that he would approve of this relationship," she said with a shrug. "But Elisa is a grown woman, and I respect her ability to choose for herself." Once more, I found myself being examined by a pair of piercing blue eyes. "You said that your intentions towards Elisa were honorable," she said with a great deal of firmness behind the words that reminded me of her eldest daughter more than ever. "What exactly _are_ your intentions?"

…I had known that this question was coming. From the moment that I had said that my intentions were honorable, I had mentally considered the possibility that Diane would demand to know what I meant by that. The truth was, however, that I wasn't entirely certain. I loved Elisa more dearly than I could ever fully explain or demonstrate, but I didn't know what to do in the future with regards to our relationship. Had we lived a hundred years ago--or even a thousand--I would have assured Diane that I would marry her daughter. In this modern setting, I wasn't even certain that Elisa _wanted_ to get married.

After a moment of considering this, I sipped at my tea and sighed. "I love your daughter, Mrs.--Diane," I said slowly, smiling a little to myself when I corrected myself in how to address her. "And I will do whatever I can to make her happy." I paused again before continuing. "If Elisa ever expressed a desire to marry, then I would ask her to be my wife in a heartbeat," I declared, surprising myself with just how much I meant it. "But for now, I am content to simply be her boyfriend for as long as she will have me."

Diane stared at me for a long moment, her expression calculating and thoughtful as she finished her cup of tea. The silence was beginning to grow awkward when she finally spoke again, keeping her gaze on the coffee table in front of her.

"I can tell that you mean it, Mr. Burnett," she said slowly. "And I am glad that Elisa has found someone who loves her so unconditionally. However," she added, looking up at me. "I think that you and Elisa are right to not tell Peter at this point. He would not be as supportive," she chuckled wryly. "Unfortunately, he's very protective of Elisa, and I doubt that he would believe you were worthy of her."

"Yes…" I said with a sarcastic smile. "Elisa did tell me almost as much."

Diane smiled back and then sat back with a sigh. "You are sure that you don't know where she is right now?" she asked, her tone filled with concern and worry for her daughter.

I shook my head with a frown. "No. I wish I did, Diane," I said quietly. "I am just as concerned as you are about her, and all I want is to see her come home safely."

Silence once more filled the room, but this time there was no awkwardness in it. Instead, she and I simply allowed our mutual worry for someone that we loved draw us closer to one another. After several minutes of silence, I finally stood up and walked back to the wall of family photos. Smiling wryly, I indicated the baby pictures.

"Which of the girls is Elisa?" I asked. It might have sounded like a desperate attempt to start up a new conversation, but I did have a reason for it.

Diane stood as well, coming over beside me and indicating one of the pictures. "This is her," she said with a sad smile. "She was a very lovely baby. And so sweet-tempered."

We spent over an hour looking over old family photos and exchanging stories about Elisa. I, of course, edited most of the stories I told so that they did not include magic or the Gargoyle clan. Those were things that Elisa should tell her mother first. 

Of course, I probably should have allowed Elisa to tell her mother about us first, but I had suddenly just felt the need to have _someone_ in her family to share my worry with. Derek--or, more appropriately, Talon--hated both myself and my employer too much for me to be willing to tell him that I was in love with his sister. Beth Maza was almost all the way across the country at college, and Peter Maza was almost as likely to hate me as Talon was. As such, Diane had been the best option that I had.

Glancing at the clock, I smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I should probably leave before your husband returns," I said with a shrug. "But I am grateful that you let me stay for so long."

Diane smiled kindly up at me and rested a motherly hand on my arm. "Of course, Owen," she said gently. "It is all right if I call you that, isn't it?"

Smiling slightly, I felt a sudden warmth build up in my chest at the kindness that this woman was showing me. "I would not mind at all, Diane," I assured her.

"Good," she replied with another smile. "You are always welcome, as far as I am concerned. And not just for Elisa's sake. I hope you'll tell me as soon as you have heard from her again…?"

I nodded my response. "I will," I said firmly, bowing politely. "Thank you, Diane. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe that I have some work waiting for me at my office."

"Of course," Diane said with a smile. "I hope that we'll see each other again very soon."

"As do I," I said honestly, smiling slightly back at her. "As do I."


	3. Future Tense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puck tries to find a way out of being Gathered to Avalon and has a short reunion with Elisa.

This was not good; not good at all.

Oberon was about to perform the Gathering. All of the Third Race would be returned to Avalon, and there was no way of knowing when or if we would ever be allowed to visit the mortal realm again. 

I couldn't let this happen; I just couldn't go back to Avalon. There were several reasons why I couldn't, but the two most important were David and Elisa. When I had revealed my true nature to David Xanatos, I had essentially bound myself to him. I could not back out of the promise I had made to him. I had grown fond of David in the several years when I had been working for him as Owen. Then there was Elisa. I simply _could not_ \--no... _would not_ \--leave Elisa behind.

Owen loved Elisa far too much to let me leave and, in all honesty, _I_ loved her too much to leave. We had to find a way to fix this…to stay on earth that much longer so that we could be with Elisa and still work with David.

But _how_? That was what worried me the most. Anything I did to convince my Lord had to be pretty damn good. What could possibly convince _Oberon_ , the most single-minded Fae in existence, allow me to be the exception to the Gathering? My Lord was very possessive of his servants, particularly me, as I was the only changeling that he had ever created. That made me almost like a daughter to him. Just one that was mentally and emotionally connected to him. He would not want to let me go anytime soon.

I needed something good. Something that had enough power to make Oberon think twice about making me do something I didn't want to do. What, though? What could it be?

…The Phoenix Gate.

Of course! The Gate had been missing from Avalon since before all of the Third Race was banished to the mortal world. It was one of the single most powerful magical items in existence, along with the Eye of Odin, and would be the best form of bribery for Oberon. There was just one problem. I had no idea where it was. Last I'd seen of it, Demona had used it to take herself, Goliath, and the newly married Fox and David Xanatos to the past. Though from what David had told Owen, Goliath must be the one who had the Gate currently. But he was somewhere either on Avalon or traveling from Avalon to the mortal world. I had to think about where they could be and go from there. Of course, if I played my cards right, I wouldn't have to be physically anywhere near Goliath.

Now, to work.

****************

It had taken me longer than I had anticipated to create the vision that would, hopefully, make Goliath give the Phoenix Gate to me. But I had managed to do it, and now all that I could do was wait. Waiting was not something that I was particularly fond of, to say the least. Waiting in the back of Owen's mind…that was even worse.

That was when I felt the tug on the back of my mind. There was no mistaking the distinct pull of someone saying my name. And then…

"Elisa!" I gasped, returning to my Fae form.

The green gem that I had given to her all those months ago; she was touching the gem! Now I could track her. Owen was just as thrilled by this turn of events as I was, and did not argue when I took the reins and vanished from inside of his office. When I reappeared, I was surprised to find myself in the middle of a small skiff, clearly form Avalon judging by all the magic surrounding it. Lying on the bottom of the boat was Goliath, who appeared to be very troubled in his sleep. No doubt because of the vision I had manufactured to make him give me the Phoenix Gate. Just behind him were Bronx, the Manhattan clan's Gargoyle beast, and a young female Gargoyle who was clearly Goliath's child. I didn't pay much attention to them, however. My attention was entirely on Elisa.

"Puck!" she gasped in surprise as she stared at me with wide brown eyes. "How--what--?"

Her words were cut off as I hugged her tightly, burying my face in her hair, drinking in her scent. Cinnamon mingled with day-old, harsh coffee. The smell of hot metal, like a gun recently fired, also clung to her hair and jacket, and while it made my nose tickle in the most irritating manner possible, I did not want to pull away.

"I've been so worried about you, sweet," I murmured into her hair, purring madly and rubbing my cheek against hers.

Elisa was about to answer, but we were interrupted by twin growls of anger. Turning around sharply to look at the Gargoyles who were conscious, I growled a little in response. Hastily, Elisa moved between me and her companions, shaking her head firmly.

"Angela, don't," she said sharply. "Puck is safe. She's my friend. You can trust her."

The female Gargoyle--Angela, it seemed--eyed me for a moment, her eyes glowing red as she continued to examine me closely. Finally, the red disappeared from her eyes and she nodded stiffly, crossing her arms. While she clearly still didn't trust me, she was willing to trust her friend's judgment of me. I was grateful for that much. Turning back to Elisa, I took her face in my hands and rested my forehead against hers.

"You called for me, sweet?" I asked in a low voice.

Elisa nodded, closing her eyes with a sigh. "Goliath--he--what's happening to him?"

The worry in her voice made my throat tighten with guilt. I knew that she wouldn't be happy with my particular method of fixing this, but she had to at least respect why I did what I did, right?

"I had to, Elisa," I said quietly, hurrying to explain when I saw the anger in her expression. "The Gathering is beginning, and I can't leave you or David behind. The only way for me to be able to remain in the mortal world is if I can bribe Oberon. The Phoenix Gate is the key, but I can't take it from Goliath myself. He has to give it to me."

I watched Elisa's expression closely, sighing in relief when I saw the anger slowly dissolve. Unfortunately, her anger was replaced by fear and worry. Not directed at Goliath, this time, but at me. Wincing a little at this, I snuggled against Elisa's chest, my head tucked under her chin as I purred weakly. The heat of her body against mine was comforting to us both, as I felt Elisa slowly relax against me.

"What exactly _is_ the Gathering?" Elisa asked after a long moment of silence. "The Banshee mentioned it when we were in Ireland…"

"Yes, she told me about that," I replied with a wry smile. "She's quite the drama queen, I know." This at least earned a weak smile from Elisa, which I was relieved to see. Sighing heavily, I slowly began to explain. "A thousand and one years ago, Oberon banished the Children of Oberon to the mortal world. We had become too proud--or at least, most of us had," I added with a smirk, tapping my chest. "I have _never_ been too proud."

"Of course not," Elisa replied with a laugh, hugging me close.

"Regardless," I said, continuing my story. "We were told that within a thousand and one years, we should expect to be Gathered back to Avalon." I sighed heavily and shivered. "The Gathering is happening now; Oberon is going around the world and sending his servants to find all his Children and return them to our ancestral home."

"Even if they don't _want_ to go home?" Elisa demanded, her voice tight with anger. I nodded, which only seemed to anger Elisa more. "That bastard! I knew that he was a jerk, but this--!"

That gave me reason to pause. "You _met_ Lord Oberon?" I demanded in surprise. "What…when?!"

"When we were last on Avalon," Elisa explained. "He wanted to run Angela's clan off of the island; we managed to convince him otherwise. I'll give you details later," she assured me with a sigh. "I can't let Oberon take you and Owen away…" Her jaw tightened and her hands clenched into fists as she looked at me. "I will fight him myself if I have to."

"No!" I said sharply. "No, Elisa, you can't. Oberon would kill you in a moment!"

"I won't lose you!" Elisa repeated fiercely.

I opened my mouth to argue, but stopped short, turning sharply to look down at Goliath's prone form. "No…" I whined. "No, _no_ , _**no**_!"

"What is it?" Elisa asked in fear, her eyes widening. "Puck?"

"He saw through the illusion! He won't give me the Gate!" I moaned in defeat, collapsing at Elisa's feet. "I was so close! _So… **close**_!" Turning to look at Elisa, I took her face in my hands again and sighed. "I can't stay here, pet," I said quietly. "But I will do what I can to remain in Manhattan until you return. If nothing else, I will beg Oberon to not take us away; just don't do anything foolish, my love."

Elisa looked ready to argue, but nodded her head slowly, sighing heavily. "Okay…just… _please_ be there when I get home," she whispered.

"I will do what I can, beloved," I murmured, kissing her forehead before vanishing.

In Owen's office again, I curled up into a ball in Owen's office chair and felt hot tears stinging my eyes. I didn't _want_ to go home to Avalon. It was so _dull_ there, where nearly everyone had seen and learned of my tricks. Here, at least, no one was used to me. That, and I had fallen in love with Elisa. A Fae only falls in love once, and that love is eternal. If I went to Avalon without her; it would kill me to do so. I couldn't risk losing her.

" _Neither of us can_ ," Owen said quietly in the back of my mind. " _We will resolve this_."

Yes. Yes we would. We had to.


End file.
